Air passengers face days of uncertainty over the Christmas break, with airport workers set to strike and industrial action by cabin crews and pilots meaning flights could be cancelled.

A 48-hour strike by check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew at 18 airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, will begin on Friday - with customers advised to carry presents and essentials in their hand luggage.

In a separate announcement, British Airways has confirmed that 2,000 cabin crew have voted to strike on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

It branded the industrial action 'calculated and heartless'.

It comes just after check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew announced strikes across 18 UK airports. UK airports which will be affected by the strike include Heathrow in London (pictured)

In another blow to passengers, Virgin Atlantic pilots voted to take action which could lead to the cancellation of flights. It will start on Friday and last for a week.

Fuming customers have taken to Twitter to voice their anger, and share concerns over whether their holidays will be wrecked by the industrial action.

And an industry insider told The Telegraph: 'I would urge anyone travelling over Christmas to pack any gifts, valuables and some spare clothes in their hand luggage because it might be days before their hold luggage arrives.'

Passengers are anxious that their festive plans will be affected by the strikes.

Samantha Hester tweeted to British Airways after the cabin crew strike was announced: 'A holiday I've been looking forward to & saving for, for a whole year, now there's a strike. When will there be news?'

The airline said it is working on plans to minimise disruption, tweeting last night: 'We aim to ensure our customers travel as planned so Christmas arrangements aren't ruined. We'll publish more details in the next 72 hours. '

Trade union Unite has said 1,500 airport workers, employed by Swissport, will strike for 48 hours from Friday in a pay dispute.

Furious MPs described trade union bosses as the ‘Grinches who stole Christmas’.

RELATED ARTICLES

Share this article

Len McCluskey is the general secretary of Unite. They said staff were striking because of a long-running pay dispute

CHAOS UNFOLDING ACROSS UK

POST OFFICE

WHO: Communication Workers Union

Row over jobs, pensions and branch closures.

WHEN: Shop counter staff will walk out on December 19, 20 and 24. Cash-handlers who deliver money to branches will walk out on December 22 and 23.

SOUTHERN RAIL

WHO: Aslef and RMT

Row over onboard safety guards (Aslef) and the role of conductors (RMT).

WHEN: Aslef walkout planned from January 9 to 14. RMT strike due from December 31 to January 2.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

WHO: Unite

Row over 2 per cent pay rise.

WHEN: Christmas Day and Boxing Day

AIRPORT WORKERS

WHO: Unite

Strike over pay.

WHEN: From December 23 for 48 hours.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

WHO: PPU.

Pilots’ row over union recognition.

WHEN: From December 23.

The Airport Operators Association last night pleaded with the union to back down. It said: ‘UK airports are preparing for one of the busiest times of the year.

‘We urge all parties to work together to seek to avoid industrial action so that travellers can get to their destinations at this special time of year.’

From Friday, Virgin Atlantic pilots will refuse to be on call – known in the industry as ‘pilot goodwill’ – and will stick rigidly to their rota. Airlines are heavily reliant on being able to call pilots at short notice.

The Professional Pilots’ Union said 87 per cent of its members had voted in favour of the action.

It warned: ‘It is possible that this may leave some flights not covered for the duration of any action, which has the potential to continue indefinitely.’

The dispute centres on the refusal of Virgin to recognise the PPU. It was launched three years ago, breaking away from the British Airline Pilots Association or Balpa, and claims to represent 70 per cent of Virgin’s 900 pilots.

There will be Christmas travel chaos this month after 1,500 check-in staff, baggage handlers and cargo crew at 18 airports announced they will walk out

Virgin said it was disappointed by the ‘unnecessary action’ but said it did not expect flights to be affected.

BA said it was appalled at the cabin crew strike decision by the Unite union and pledged to ensure its customers get to their destination.

The row involves around 4,500 so-called mixed fleet cabin crew who joined BA since 2010. Unite say they are on lower pay than other staff.

It is the latest industrial dispute to flare in recent months after a number of strikes on Southern Railway over staff (pictured)

Earlier this week Transport Secretary Chris Grayling revealed the Government is considering plans to toughen up anti-strike laws.

Tory MP Charlie Elphicke, a member of the cross-party Public Accounts Committee, urged the Government to take action.

He said: ‘It’s shameful that militant trade unions are waging war on families over Christmas.

'Mr Corbyn’s failure to stand up for working people is clearly egging the unions on to try to cause maximum chaos.’

Tory MP Alec Shelbrooke said: ‘Once again hard working people, who the unions are supposed to represent, are going to see their plans to wind down with family and go away on breaks they’ve saved all year for, be wrecked by union Grinches.’

Rail strikes look set to spread from the South East to Merseyside as Liverpool’s Labour mayor Joe Anderson announced a £460million investment in driver-only trains, which are at the centre of the Southern row.

Boss of the RMT union Mick Cash said: ‘We will do whatever is necessary to defend the safety of our members and the travelling public.’

Virgin Atlantic pilots have voted to take industrial action short of a strike in a row over union recognition

Meanwhile, there has been strikes at the Post Office over jobs, pensions and closures

LEN MCCLUSKEY

Unite boss Len McCluskey is a hard-left firebrand who was once a supporter of the Trotskyist entryist group Militant.

The 66-year-old, known as 'Red Len', has a radical inner circle that includes chief of staff Andrew Murray - who has been a member of the Communist Party for forty years.

Branded a 'union baron', as well as Labour kingmaker, McCluskey has attracted much controversy for propping up Jeremy Corbyn.

Mr McCluskey has now forced an early leadership election at Unite in a plot by the hard left to cling on to power.

He was expected to come under pressure to retire in 2018 - a crucial time for Mr Corbyn's leadership ahead of the 2020 General Election.

By forcing a leadership ballot, Mr McCluskey will be able to stay in charge of Unite until 2020 and beyond, allowing him to continue propping up 'the Corbyn project'.

Mr McCluskey has pledged to continue 'coming after' bad bosses and standing up for 'decent men and women' as he launched his campaign to be re-elected.

He gained the 'Red Len' nickname after leading the BA cabin crew strikes in 2010.

Unite is now Labour's biggest donor and provides essential support for Corbyn's left-wing leadership of the party, lending staff members to the leader's office and key seats on the governing national executive committee.

Mr McCluskey is expected to win the ensuing leadership election, which will conclude in April.

He joined Labour in 1970, where he became a supporter of the Militant group that was later expelled from the party by Neil Kinnock.

Advertisement

Share or comment on this article:

Air passengers face uncertainty as British Airways expected to strike over Christmas